Coral

ORA Purple Jade Bonsai

Acropora sp.AcroporidaeSPS corals

1 photos

The ORA Purple Jade Bonsai is a hardy aquacultured Acropora featuring a deep violet base with bright green polyps. It grows well under strong lighting and moderate to high flow, making it a good choice for SPS-dominant reef tanks.

Quick facts

Handling caution: Branches are sharp and can cause cuts; wear gloves when handling or fragging

Identity

Also known as: Purple Jade Acropora
Environment: Saltwater
Native to: Indo-Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Indonesia
Habitat: Shallow, high-energy reef crests and upper reef slopes with strong currents and intense sunlight
Sourcing: Aquacultured
Conservation: Not Evaluated

Care

Care level: Difficult
Coral type: SPS
Temperament: Aggressive
Growth form: Branching
Adult size: 1 – 12 in (2.5 – 30 cm)
Spread: 24 in (61 cm)
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: High

Water

Temperature: 74 – 80 °F (23 – 27 °C)
pH: 8.1 – 8.4
dKH: 8 – 11 dKH
Salinity: 1.025 – 1.026 SG
PAR: 200 – 400 PAR
Flow: High
Light: High

Reef care

Nutrient preference: Low
Alk/Ca uptake: High
Target feeding: Beneficial
Give it room: 6 in (15 cm)
Colors: Green, Purple, Yellow, Pink, Orange, Blue, Multicolor

Feeding & breeding

Diet: Photosynthetic
Foods: Coral food, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton
Propagation: Fragging

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Care guide

Overview

Deep violet branches support bright green polyps that extend along a compact, bonsai-like growth form. This aquacultured Acropora tolerates a range of Acropora keepers' setups reasonably well but still requires strong lighting, moderate to high flow, and stable reef chemistry to maintain its coloration. It suits SPS-dominant systems with room for branch spread.

Care

Acropora demands stable, mature reef chemistry with tight control over calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium, since fluctuations quickly cause tissue recession or bleaching. Strong, turbulent, ideally multidirectional flow paired with intense lighting keeps polyps extended and colors saturated. New colonies often brown out for a few weeks after introduction while adjusting to tank lighting, so gradual acclimation is important. This genus is best kept by reefers with established tanks and consistent dosing or a calcium reactor.

Placement & acclimation

Acclimate new frags to tank lighting gradually, starting lower in the water column or under shaded conditions before moving to the high-light zone Acropora prefers. Attach frags securely to rock or a plug using cyanoacrylate gel or two-part reef epoxy, ensuring the base is fully immobilized so tissue is not damaged by movement. Place colonies in the upper third of the tank where light and flow are strongest, leaving room for outward branch growth.

Feeding

Most nutrition comes from photosynthesis through zooxanthellae, but supplemental feeding of fine zooplankton or powdered coral food can support growth and coloration. Target feeding is optional rather than essential in a well-lit system with adequate flow to carry food to the polyps. Overfeeding or excess nutrients in the water column can dull coloration and promote nuisance algae on the skeleton.

Neighbors

Space colonies well apart since Acropora will sting and out-compete neighboring corals that grow into contact, and rapid branch growth can quickly close gaps. It pairs best with other SPS corals sharing similar high-light, high-flow requirements rather than with softies or LPS that prefer calmer conditions. Small gobies, crabs, and shrimp often shelter within the branches in both wild and aquarium settings without harming the coral.

Fragging

Fragging is done by cutting healthy branches with bone cutters or a coral saw and mounting the fragments on plugs or discs with cyanoacrylate glue or epoxy. Frags should be taken from vigorous, well-colored branch tips and allowed to heal in stable, lower-flow conditions before being moved to display placement. Regular pruning of outer branches also helps maintain colony shape and clear detritus that settles within the branch structure.

Pests & problems

Tissue necrosis (STN/RTN) can appear suddenly, often triggered by parameter swings, shipping stress, or poor water quality, and can spread rapidly across a colony if not addressed. Watch for red bugs, Acropora-eating flatworms, and nudibranchs, which can devastate a colony if left untreated. Browning after introduction is common and usually resolves as the coral adjusts to tank lighting over several weeks.